This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
A tibial tubercle osteotomy is a surgical procedure which is performed to treat patellofemoral conditions, such as patellar instability, patellofemoral pain and chondrosis, and osteoarthritis. Such an osteotomy is typically performed when nonoperative measures, such as physical therapy, have failed. During a tibial tubercle osteotomy an incision is made in the anterior of a patient's leg just inferior to the patella, and a proximal and anterior portion of a tibia is partially resected to generate a tubercle flap. The tubercle flap is then repositioned in anterior and medial-lateral directions and held in place with screws. Typically, a tibial tubercle osteotomy results in anteromedialization (AMZ) of the tubercle. This repositioning alters the position of the patella in a patient to remove a pain-causing load, resulting in alleviation of a patellofemoral condition characterized by malalignment of the patella relative to asymptomatic individuals.
Many tibial tubercle osteotomies are performed with the aid of commercially available osteotomy systems. However, these systems generally comprise multiple units that are complicated to use. Moreover, the commercially available systems are mass produced, and are not tailored to a specific patient's anatomy. Therefore, there remains a need to develop new guide systems that are easier to use than currently available systems, and that are custom manufactured to match the anatomy of a specific patient.